The pandemic is taking a toll on many local business owners and Matt Tannenbaum is no exception.

“When I looked at the bank account, I said, ‘Oh, we’re not going to make it.’ And once I realized we’re not going to make it, I thought, well that’s, I can’t imagine not making it.”

The owner of The Bookstore in Lenox started a GoFundMe to save his store earlier this week and in just a couple of days, it's already raised more than $60,000.

“I kid around, I always wanted to be a writer, but I guess thank you notes are going to be what I’m going to be writing,” said Tannenbaum.

Tannenbaum says part of the reason his store is in trouble is they're still not open for in-person shopping. He feels the interactive environment of the bookstore isn’t safe during a pandemic.

“An indoor space, with a lot of browsing, a lot of touching, a lot of close quarters, would not be safe for my customers. I wouldn’t want an illness or a death to come back on me.”

Still, thanks to the community’s support, Tannenbaum can stop worrying about the finances as much and work to make sure the 50-year-old store will continue to serve the town’s readers.

“It’s their bookstore. It’s their bookstore almost as much as mine, and it means that it’s my responsibility,” said Tannenbaum.

The Bookstore is open for curbside pick-up Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 6 PM, and pictures of their entire collection are posted on their website for virtual browsing.